Craic
01-02-2013, 04:10 PM
I know we had problems this year - but I think there is significant reasons to be excited:
O line. We are returning with the best O-line we've had since the Superbowl year of 2005/6. Starting on the left side, Starks may or may not be back. He has not had any luck in FA in the past, and hopefully, it remains that way so we can bring him back in. Even if we don't, there's options here. LG has a nice one-two punch of Willie C. and Foster. Foster says he wants to come back and he played well on this side in lieu of Willie C. Added to the mix, if Starks leaves and we don't like the LT's that we have, Willie C. can kick out to LT, or even Foster can, without much drop off. Center is set for starter and backup - have to wonder if any other team has the talent pool at center that we do. Sure is nice after the couple years we went through. RG will be fine with DeCastro, who is still coming back from a knee surgery. A year learning the system and an entire offseason to work through things and learn the system even more will be more than what he needs. RT, IMO, is Adams's to lose. He was great in run blocking, and only the top 10 or 15 percent of NFL LE's could put moves on him and get by in pass downs once he got the hang of the position - and all of this is in his rookie year. All of this means, that next year for the first time in quite a while, we may be going into camp with the same guys we went into camp with this year, and pretty much know the positions they will be in. If they can stay healthy, this line can now gel together, and I think they have the ability to be a force to be reckoned with in the coming decade.
WR's - this years distractions will be over. Either Wallace will be back with a contract, or he'll be gone. Sanders and Brown have seen what happens when they're not focused. The team's been in the new offense for a year now, so there's a much larger comfort level. Also, we have two older receivers in Cotchery and (possibly) Burress who knows what it takes to get things done. If they can provide a little leadership (filling the void Hines left, I'm amazed that very few people have pointed that out concerning our WR issues), I think we're looking a different season all together than this year.
RB's - this is the only issue that I'm still split on. Mendy's probably gone for all intents and purposes, unless something unreal happens. Honestly, I liked the burst Redman was showing in the later games. He was looking faster than I've seen before. Dwyer put a few HARD licks on people down the stretch and fought for a number of tough yards. I don't think however, that we have that top tier back. The question is, do we need one? I'm thinking yes, but I'm will to wait and see.
QB - no issue with the starter. Sure he struggled down the stretch for whatever reason. He's earned the grace to just let it go and see what he does next year. I worry about our backups, but they're backups. We'll pick up a couple of them and keep on trucking.
TE - yes, the loss to Miller hurts, and the possibility of not having him back at the beginning of next year hurts even more. However, we DO have other TE's that can catch the ball - and other TE's that can block as well.
___
Defense. This defense was DOMINANT. Yes, I use the word DOMINANT in caps. We were dominant in pass defense. There were only 6 teams that allowed fewer TD's than we did, no teams that allowed fewer passing yards than we did, 3 teams that allowed fewer yards per completion than we did, and five teams that allowed a smaller completion percentage than we did. We were dominant in run defense: Second in rush yards per game, 3rd in rush yards per attempt, 6th in rush TDs per game, and first in total rush yards allowed. We were dominant in not allowing TD's, with only three teams allowing fewer TD's than we did.
The problem was that we were 12th in most FG's allowed. Now, when you take the lack of ability moving the ball against us, and add to that the number of fieldgoals made against us, that points to one issue. The offense not moving the ball/turnovers.
Special Teams: We were 29th in punt returns, with 7.2 Punt return yards per return (think of all the good returns brought back by penalty). We were ninth in KR's. Moreover, we were 14th in total amount of kick returns this year, and 10th in total number of punt returns this year. We were 25th in yards per punt. However, our punter put the ball inside the 20 35 times, which makes him tied for third place, though we were sixth in teams that punted the most. Last, in total NET yards per punt, we were 10th best.
Suisham? Gold this year. He missed three FG's, two over fifty yards and one was a short one that was a bad snap (if I remember right).
All of that to say, There really is nowhere that this team was poor this year, except in punt returns. If we just fix that, I think we change field position enough that our defense shuts down the field goals. That also gives our offense better field position to drive from.
In short, there is very little that really is wrong with this team overall. Sure, we see the glaring things here and there, but they average out, and that we normally DON'T see. Thus, if we don't blow up this team, bring back it's core, especially it's younger core, and can just remain a bit healthier next year, there's no reason we aren't number 1 in the AFCN again and headed into the playoffs as a dominant team to be watch out for.
Yeah, I'm getting excited about next year already.
O line. We are returning with the best O-line we've had since the Superbowl year of 2005/6. Starting on the left side, Starks may or may not be back. He has not had any luck in FA in the past, and hopefully, it remains that way so we can bring him back in. Even if we don't, there's options here. LG has a nice one-two punch of Willie C. and Foster. Foster says he wants to come back and he played well on this side in lieu of Willie C. Added to the mix, if Starks leaves and we don't like the LT's that we have, Willie C. can kick out to LT, or even Foster can, without much drop off. Center is set for starter and backup - have to wonder if any other team has the talent pool at center that we do. Sure is nice after the couple years we went through. RG will be fine with DeCastro, who is still coming back from a knee surgery. A year learning the system and an entire offseason to work through things and learn the system even more will be more than what he needs. RT, IMO, is Adams's to lose. He was great in run blocking, and only the top 10 or 15 percent of NFL LE's could put moves on him and get by in pass downs once he got the hang of the position - and all of this is in his rookie year. All of this means, that next year for the first time in quite a while, we may be going into camp with the same guys we went into camp with this year, and pretty much know the positions they will be in. If they can stay healthy, this line can now gel together, and I think they have the ability to be a force to be reckoned with in the coming decade.
WR's - this years distractions will be over. Either Wallace will be back with a contract, or he'll be gone. Sanders and Brown have seen what happens when they're not focused. The team's been in the new offense for a year now, so there's a much larger comfort level. Also, we have two older receivers in Cotchery and (possibly) Burress who knows what it takes to get things done. If they can provide a little leadership (filling the void Hines left, I'm amazed that very few people have pointed that out concerning our WR issues), I think we're looking a different season all together than this year.
RB's - this is the only issue that I'm still split on. Mendy's probably gone for all intents and purposes, unless something unreal happens. Honestly, I liked the burst Redman was showing in the later games. He was looking faster than I've seen before. Dwyer put a few HARD licks on people down the stretch and fought for a number of tough yards. I don't think however, that we have that top tier back. The question is, do we need one? I'm thinking yes, but I'm will to wait and see.
QB - no issue with the starter. Sure he struggled down the stretch for whatever reason. He's earned the grace to just let it go and see what he does next year. I worry about our backups, but they're backups. We'll pick up a couple of them and keep on trucking.
TE - yes, the loss to Miller hurts, and the possibility of not having him back at the beginning of next year hurts even more. However, we DO have other TE's that can catch the ball - and other TE's that can block as well.
___
Defense. This defense was DOMINANT. Yes, I use the word DOMINANT in caps. We were dominant in pass defense. There were only 6 teams that allowed fewer TD's than we did, no teams that allowed fewer passing yards than we did, 3 teams that allowed fewer yards per completion than we did, and five teams that allowed a smaller completion percentage than we did. We were dominant in run defense: Second in rush yards per game, 3rd in rush yards per attempt, 6th in rush TDs per game, and first in total rush yards allowed. We were dominant in not allowing TD's, with only three teams allowing fewer TD's than we did.
The problem was that we were 12th in most FG's allowed. Now, when you take the lack of ability moving the ball against us, and add to that the number of fieldgoals made against us, that points to one issue. The offense not moving the ball/turnovers.
Special Teams: We were 29th in punt returns, with 7.2 Punt return yards per return (think of all the good returns brought back by penalty). We were ninth in KR's. Moreover, we were 14th in total amount of kick returns this year, and 10th in total number of punt returns this year. We were 25th in yards per punt. However, our punter put the ball inside the 20 35 times, which makes him tied for third place, though we were sixth in teams that punted the most. Last, in total NET yards per punt, we were 10th best.
Suisham? Gold this year. He missed three FG's, two over fifty yards and one was a short one that was a bad snap (if I remember right).
All of that to say, There really is nowhere that this team was poor this year, except in punt returns. If we just fix that, I think we change field position enough that our defense shuts down the field goals. That also gives our offense better field position to drive from.
In short, there is very little that really is wrong with this team overall. Sure, we see the glaring things here and there, but they average out, and that we normally DON'T see. Thus, if we don't blow up this team, bring back it's core, especially it's younger core, and can just remain a bit healthier next year, there's no reason we aren't number 1 in the AFCN again and headed into the playoffs as a dominant team to be watch out for.
Yeah, I'm getting excited about next year already.